Kanawha County ( kÉ™-NAW or kÉ™-NAW>-É™) is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 193,063, making it West Virginia's most populous county. Its county seat is Charleston, the state capital.
Kanawha County is part of the Charleston, WV Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
The county began taking formation on November 14, 1788 under authorization of the Virginia General Assembly, and was founded on October 5, 1789. The county was named for the Kanawha River, which in turn was named after the Indian tribe that lived in the area. The county was the site of a major Textbook controversy in 1974 that included bombings and received national attention.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 911 square miles (2,360Â km2), of which 902 square miles (2,340Â km2) is land and 9.3 square miles (24Â km2) (1.0%) is water. It is the fourth-largest county in West Virginia by area.
Adjacent counties
Major highways
Demographics
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 200,073 people, 86,226 households, and 55,960 families residing in the county. The population density was 222 people per square mile (86/km²). There were 93,788 housing units at an average density of 104 per square mile (40/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 90.46% White, 6.97% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.85% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 1.27% from two or more races. 0.59% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.
There were 86,226 households out of which 26.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.00% were married couples living together, 12.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.10% were non-families. 30.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.84.
The age distribution was 21.30% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 28.10% from 25 to 44, 25.60% from 45 to 64, and 16.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $33,766, and the median income for a family was $42,568. Males had a median income of $33,842 versus $24,188 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,354. About 11.20% of families and 14.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.60% of those under age 18 and 10.50% of those age 65 or over.
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 193,063Â people, 84,201Â households, and 52,172Â families residing in the county. The population density was 214.1 inhabitants per square mile (82.7/km2). There were 92,618 housing units at an average density of 102.7 per square mile (39.7/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 89.1% white, 7.3% black or African American, 1.0% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.3% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.9% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 14.8% were German, 14.2% were Irish, 13.9% were English, and 13.4% were American.
Of the 84,201Â households, 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.3% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 38.0% were non-families, and 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.84. The median age was 42.4 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $42,669 and the median income for a family was $54,203. Males had a median income of $42,522 versus $31,754 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,439. About 9.7% of families and 13.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.5% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
Kanawha County was dominated by the Democratic Party for much of the 20th century, albeit to a lesser extent than much of West Virginia. However, since 2004 it has been won by Republicans in presidential elections, although as an urban county the swing to the Republicans has not been as vast as in much of the rest of the state.
Government
Elected officials
Economy
According to the 2010 U.S. Census there are approximately 5,481 private sector businesses within Kanawha County. There are 89,768 people that are currently employed that live in Kanawha County. The most notable businesses throughout Kanawha County; Tech Park in South Charleston, Gestamp in South Charleston, Mardi Gras Casino, Chesapeake Energy in Charleston, Walker Machinery in Belle, Charleston Area Medical Center throughout Charleston, Thomas Memorial Hospital in South Charleston, Saint Francis Hospital in Charleston, C&O Motors in Saint Albans, Bert Wolf Ford in Charleston, Smith Motor Company in Charleston, and Joe Holland Chevrolet in South Charleston to name a few. Kanawha County is also well known for many businesses in the chemical industry with presence from Dow Chemical Company, Clearon Corporation, and FMC Corporation all located in South Charleston and DuPont in Belle.
Recreation
Events
- FestivALL
- Live on the Levee
- Vandalia Gathering
- Rib Fest
- Charleston Rod Run Doo Wop
- Majorette Festival - Daily Mail Kanawha County Majorette and Band Festival
- Pinch Reunion
- St. Albans Festival of Lights
Attractions
- Clay Center (West Virginia)
- West Virginia State Capitol
- West Virginia Cultural Center
- South Charleston Mound
- Mardi Gras Casino and Resort
- Charleston Civic Center
- Heritage Tower Museum
Sports
- West Virginia Power - Baseball team
- West Virginia Chaos - Soccer club
Communities
Cities
Towns
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
Notable people
- George Crumb, composer
- Caleb Ellis, touring guitarist for American emo band Dashboard Confessional
- Conchata Ferrell, actress, best known for her role as Berta on Two and Half Men
- Jennifer Garner, actress
- Earl Lloyd, one of the first African American NBA players, who also played for West Virginia State College (University)
- Kathy Mattea, country singer / songwriter
- Randy Moss, NFL player
- Lou Myers, actor, best known for his role as Mr. Gaines on A Different World
- Les Palmer, NFL football player
- Phil Pfister, strongman champion
- Kristen Ruhlin, actress, best known from film and TV roles opposite Charlie Sheen in She Wants Me, Hilary Duff in Gossip Girl and daytime drama One Life to Live
- Jason Williams, NBA player
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Kanawha County, West Virginia
- Kanawha County textbook controversy
References
Further reading
- Scott A. MacKenzie. "The Slaveholders' War: The Secession Crisis in Kanawha County, Western Virginia, 1860-1861," West Virginia History: A Journal of Regional Studies - New Series, Volume 4, Number 1, Spring 2010, pp. 33â€"57 in Project MUSE
External links
- Kanawha County Commission
- Kanawha County Public Library
- Kanawha County Schools
- WVGenWeb Kanawha County
- Kanawha County Obituary Archive
- Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Charleston, WV - http://www.charlestonwv.com/
- Dunbar, WV - http://www.wvcommerce.org/travel/travelplanner/attraction/Dunbar-Convention-and-Visitors-Bureau-CVB/3843/default.aspx
- Nitro, WV - https://web.archive.org/web/20130727150319/http://nitrowvcvb.org/
- South Charleston, WV - https://web.archive.org/web/20121019071540/http://www.southcharlestonwv.org/SCCVB/Welcome.html